Improvement in water-meters



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. FITTS.

WATER-METER. No. 178,829. Patented June'13, 1876.

NPETERS, PNOT0-LITHOHAPHER, WASHINGTON. DC.

3 Sheets-Sheet .3..

B. FITTS.. WATER-METER.

No.178,829, Pateted June 13,- 1876.

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other.

,grams of a modified form of the pistons, the

LIMITED STATES.

"PATENT EEICE.

WATER METER COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

- IMPROVEMENT INfwrTE'R-METERS.

specification farming part of Letters Patent Na, 178,829, dated June 13, 1ere; application tied May 18, 18775.

To all whom it may concern 4Re it known that I, BENAiAn Ems, of`

Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Me'- ters; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description there? meter, the cover and partition-plate being re; moved in order to show the relation of the ro-Q tary pistons and gears to each other. Fig. 2 represen ts a vertical longitudinal section of the same as taken through the center of the apparatas, but showing the cover, partition-plate,

and the driving portion of the registering apparatus in position, the last, as Well as the gears' and pistons, beingV shown in elevation,'withA the exception of the hub of one of thepistous, which is shown in section to illustrate the method of mounting the piston on its stud. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrative of the lrelative movements of the rotary pistons with' respect to each other at different points of their circuit, Fig-3 being that shownin Fig. 1, and Fig. @when at right angles to each Figs. 5 and 6 represent similar diarelative positions of which are the same as -those shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 7 illus-l trates,'on a somewhat larger scale, a modified form of gear for driving the pistons, and well adapted to the form of pistons shown in Figs.

.5 and 6, andshows the relative position of the and successively..v

- other, and in such manner that there shall always be Contact during every stage of their revolution be'tWeen-a-'radial piston of the one set and the corresponding smaller segmental portion of the other set, and this alternately Thirdly, yit consists -in combining with the two 'setsjof pistons thus varranged and constructed, gears of like and suitable construction, such as those' to be hereinafter described,

by which not only to confine them to their proper relative positions with regard to each other, but to prevent interference between the pistons of each set as they are made to revolve bythe .pressure-of the water or other iiuid being measured.

Fourthly, it consists in mounting or supporting each set of radial pistons' on steps or studs by means of a hub on ywhich they are formed or otherwise secured," the upper or outer end of which forms the shaft on which the gears are made fast.

Fifthly, it consists in combining with two sets of measuring-pistons thus constructed Vand arranged suitable mechanism, such as will be hereafter described, for driving the registering apparatus.

To enable others skilled in the art to make,

construct, and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its parts in detail.:

The shell of the apparatus I propose to make in two principal parts, of" which the cover or cap-piece A forms one and the lower portion or casing B the other. -I Between the two is arranged a metallic diaphragm or partition-plate C, which ts in a depression, a, (see Fig. 1) formed on the upper internal edge of the casing B. Partition Gis secured by vscrews b to casing, as shown in Fig. 2. Cover A isisecured to easing B by screw-bolts c andv nuts c', which are made to pass :through corresponding lugs d d, formed on each. Cover A carries or supports the registering apparatus of the meter, of which the transmitting?- gear @driving-pinion f,`1and actuatingcrankA g are only represented in :the drawing, as the balance is made and applied in the usual man-v ner, and therefore unnecessary here to be det scribed or shown. In the bottom plate `It of i 'casing B, at a regulated distance apart, (see Fig. 2,) are cut two openings, 'i i, for the recep tion ot' the ends of two studs, D D'. The

` lower end of each ot' these 4studs is made of but the former is preferred, asfit iseasier to turn them, that they may form a smooth and snitable'axial stud forthehub of the piston. Upon each ofthese studs DD', and which are made to extend upward to within a short distance of the under side of partit'ionU, is mounted a piston-frame, I Orl', by means of a hub, G or G', each carrying two Tor more radialpiston-blades, H or H'. In Figsl and 2, stud I) supports a piston-frame,consisting of a hub, G, east in one` piece, Llwith two radial pistons, H H, while stud D'carries a corresponding piston-.frame in every respect,

consisting of. hub G' andfpistonsH'H'; If

desired,ithel hubs and pistons may? be made separately and `afterward secured to each other, but the other is preferred.` In thiscase the pistons H H and H' 1:1' are arranged on the diametrically opposite sides `of their respeetive hubs. y The upperend of eachhubis made to extend through and `fol-soniedistance above partitionlilate O, so as to receive a gear, M,`for hub Gand gear M' for hubiG'.` These gears are keyed, as iirFig. 9, or otherwisemade` fast to the hubs, as, t'orwinstance, by means of a screw, t, passing through a eollar, m, formed on them as a hub forthe purpose, and into an indentation made in the side of their hubs G and G', 4as shown inFigs. l

and 2. Referring to Fig. 9, where the hubs,

studs, gears, and partition are all sho wn in section, it will be seen that the upperend of the hubs G or G' are turned down as they enter `partition-plate C, so as to form a shoulder to abut against the under side of the latter, and yetfurther turned down as they leave it so as to form another shoulder for the undert side of the gears M M' to abut and bear against when keyed or otherwise made Vfast thereto. t t S1 I 1 Moreover, from the same i'gure, it will also be seen that the cylindrical opening through the hubs, for the reception ot' their axial studs D or D', are not of uniform width throughout,

port of the` whole piston-frainef-fi. ie.,"hnb land pistons, as well as gearsp-issuch as to just supportrand carry the lower edges of tliefpis-.f`

tons H or H', and their hubs G or G', :learlof` the inner "faceiof' the bottom plate tof casing` B. The verlicaldepth or acting facesothtlne.` pistons extend from the innerfaces of parti#` t tion `Gland vbottom plate hof casing Bri Figs. 3, et, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate.suitable` ezt-H ternal shapes of the pistons, where.` two are used as a full set for each of the two piston-L` frames; and Figs. l and 7` the relativearrange;1 l i t 4 ment ofthe gears, with' respect to the pistons.`

Figs. 8 and 9 represent suitable shapes for pistons, where each pistolrhead carries three pistons; and Fig. 8 suitably-shaped gears, properly arranged with respect to thepistons 'to operate in connection therewith.

The leading featuresof "these `pistons consists in making the curved portion of the outer end or faceot' the pistons-say, from `0 to 0 and the outer face of` those` portions-say, from p to p of the hubs-contained between the radial arms, which constitute the` pistonssegy ments of concentric circles struck from their center of motion. By this means, when the outercurved face ooi' the pistons is brought in contact `with the curvedi'acep ot' the hubs,

the `joint is not affected byimperl'ections or wear of the outside gears. 4. i

Theoretically the distanceyapartfrom center to center of .the istuds.Dl.D'ishouldbeithe length` of any of the.piston-bladesH or H',

from :its center toits: periphery-plus the length ot' the radius of the hub, as taken at` any point between the 1curvediportions pp` and` its center of motion.;` but practically it should `be the` veriest tritlemore.

In Figs. l and `2, `the gears `are shown as 2 consisting of the segmental variety,each gear` M or M' consisting offour segmental` gears ieoncentrically arrangedr 1in `pairs and,

conforming in their arrangementand position A to the curved portions o o ot'` the pistons andl p p of the hubs, the curvediorm `of `the,

`periphery of the pistons andfhub being pre-t cisely that ofthe pitch-line of the gears-J-that is to say, `gears r 'r withthe curveso o of the pistons, and `gears s s with the hub-curve 19 p.

By this construction otl the gears, pistons, and hubs a constant'tight joint between the pistons and hubs is insured, as. thereby an easy rolling instead of asliding joint is obtained; while the piston-blade thatdrives has theV advantage at all times of its small hubgear s working into the larger` gear r ofithe other, and consequently the advantage ot' leverage. This motion also serves to make the pistons clear each other, the one for this purpose being made alternately to move faster and slower than the other, the piston whose small gear s is engaged with the large gear ot' its large. gear r; and, consequently, to do so must move relatively faster than the latter piston, thus moving its own opposite piston I away from the advance of piston I' faster than thelatter can advance, because of the greater arc its gear r has to traverse, than the smaller arc of gear s with which it is in gear.

Ordinarily, either of the ports J and K may be the eduction or induction ports of the meter 5 but in this instance, the pistons moving in the direction of the arrow, port .I forms the induction and K the eduction ports.

To the upper side of gear-plate M' that carries the segmental gears r and s,.and immediately adjoining its hub or collar m', is secured a crank-pin, t, which, engaging with crank-arm g of the driving-pinion f, imparts motionto gear e. 0n the inner end of the spindle w is mounted the pinion that drives the train ot' gears, the spindles of which carry the index-fingers of an ordinary registering apparatus, and lwhich it is deemed 11n-- necessary to be further referred to or described, as such maybe of any improved, known, and suitable variety.

In Fig. 7 is shown a somewhat different style of variable gears, in which but two are used, they lalso being intended to be employed in connection with hubs Gr and G', which carry two radial arms or pistons, I I', constructed substantially like those in Figs. 1 and 2. In this case, with the samedistance from center to center of the studs D D', the hubs G G' are relatively larger, and pistons smaller, than the hubs and pistons in the former case, and are connected and operated in connection with gears of correspondingly greater and less minor and major axes or-diameters, resulting in oval-shaped gears of uniform size and number of teeth; the latter being suitably shaped y to adapt them to their change of form. With those gears the longer diameter corresponds with the length of thepistons, and their shorter or conjugate axis w'ith that of the hubs, andv are so combined that the teeth at the end of the longer axis mesh with those of the shorter, thereby producing substantially the same effect as that produced by the segmental gears, in the apparatus shown in Figs. l and v.. lhe difference is, the latter can be made to operate with a lower head or smaller stream of water than can be done by the former.

In Figs. 8 and 10 ameter having my improvement applied thereto is shown in connection with two hubs, G G', each of which carry three radial blades or pistons, I I'. Such a construction requires a corresponding change in the variable gears, in order that the pistons may properly clear and operate each other. A suitable form for this purpose is shown, consisting of triangular gears M M' provided with teeth of suitable pitch.

These gears are arranged with respect to each other and to their respective pistons on precisely the same principles as those already described and shown in Figs'l and 7, and operate on the same plan, the teeth 'at-the apices ofthe angles being respectively in a line, or nearly so, with thet radial arms, and with respect to each other, so that the apex or longest radial tooth of the one-say, No.`

l of gearM-'shall take into the shortest corresponding radial depression, No. 1, of the other', M', and so on, producing substantially the same effect as in the others.

Again, by placing the studs D D' somewhat further apart, and then making the curved parts p p of the hub of each correspondingly larger, then circular gears may be used, but

it would not shed nearly as much water, al-

though it would make a good motor.

In all cases the working portions of the inner face of the casing B are made to conform to the sweep ofthe pistons, with the exception 0f that portion adjoining the mouths of the induction and eduction openings J and K, which do not absolutely conform.

Having described my invention, `what I A claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The combination of two eccentric gears, v

M and M', with two rotary pistons, I I', each consisting of two or more radial piston-blades having a curved outer end, o, and of a hub,

G, provided with two or more curved portions,

p p, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

s s, in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. Thel combination of a rotary piston provided with two or more radial piston-blades and a hollow hub, with a stud formed on or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom plate h of the casing, in the manner substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination, with the two rotary pistons and gears of a meter, the pin t, spindle c, and its crank y, as ameans of imparting motion to the mechanism ot' a registering apparatus, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

BENAIAII FITTS.

Witnesses ABIEL E. WILSON,

S. AUGUSTUS WELCH,

2. 'Ihecombination of two pistons, I I', con-l 

